


cookie season

by Izzi456



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Girl Scouts, Light Angst, Technically enemies to lovers, girl scout leaders, troop leaders, what else am i going to do with 12 years of girl scout knowledge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-22 22:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30045546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izzi456/pseuds/Izzi456
Summary: "She - her troop - had to win the biggest prize this year. Theyhadto. Alex didn’t even care what it was. Because Maggie’s troop had beaten them in box numbers last year, and Maggie had always been a worthy competitor, and Maggie was the only person who took this stuff as seriously as Alex did, and she was back."
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Maggie Sawyer & Winn Schott Jr.
Comments: 59
Kudos: 54





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> this thing is fully written, which is a damn miracle. I was a girl scout for 12ish years and I really enjoyed it (mostly cause I was lucky to have an amazing troop leader), so this was super fun to write. you don't need to have been a girl scout to understand the fic, but if anything is confusing let me know.
> 
> these will be short chapters (but longer than the prologue!), and it's mostly just a fun fic, with light angst. hope you enjoy! :)

_...present day…_

“Do you wanna buy a Girl Scout cookie?”

The older man paused his hobbling to look at Kara, and Alex nudged her with an elbow. Kara smiled bigger.

“Aren’t you sweet,” the old man said. “But my granddaughter already sold me ten boxes.”

“You know, you can freeze them,” Alex piped up, subtly pushing the Trefoils towards him. “You should really get enough to last all year.”

This one, surprisingly, wasn’t a prime target. But only because he had a granddaughter. It was useless to try and convince him. The obligation they felt towards their grandchildren was unparalleled, Alex had learned, from years ago when she’d made her own grandmother buy at least twenty boxes every year.

She hadn’t been Alex’s best customer, but had helped boost her numbers every year.

It hadn’t really been about the prizes. Well, it _was_ , cause a few of them were pretty cool, but it was more about one-upping the other girls. For Alex, _one_ other girl in particular.

“That’s alright. I see your boxes are selling like hotcakes, you’ll have no trouble,” the old man said. He winked at Kara and went inside the grocery store.

Alex allowed herself a sigh, then fixed her eyes on the next person walking up to their table.

“Alex, can we have a break?” One of the other girls asked. 

“It’s only been forty-five minutes,” Alex said, glancing at her watch. These ten-year-olds should be able to last longer. Even the twins who didn’t contribute at all. “We have a two-hour time slot, and the front entrance instead of the exit side. So we need to grab as many people as we can.”

It was good strategy to ask people on their way out, and they didn’t have that advantage this time. 

“Twenty more minutes, and then a break?” Kara asked, putting on a pout.

Alex glanced around. They really couldn’t afford it, but… “Fine. If it’s slow.”

The other girls squealed, and Alex rolled her eyes. “You,” she pointed at the shy one, Liza, running back to get more cookie boxes. “Up here with Kara until the break.”

The girl looked scared, but it was good for her. Alex knew Liza would hate her for a while, but she’d thank her someday. 

Alex went to the back and whipped some scissors out to open the new crates. She had anticipated almost every box going today, but at this rate…

Her troop was small, just hitting the minimum of five girls. Alex was glad they were still young—still cute enough to make you want to buy an extra box or three.

When Alex straightened up, her arms loaded with Do-Si-Dos, her gaze involuntarily flicked over to the other entrance of the store. The parking lot was on their side, so everyone walked in their entrance. And no one wanted to buy cookies _before_ their grocery run.

Another troop had gotten the exit side, which Alex could see over the long rows of empty shopping carts waiting for customers. 

It was the second time Maggie Sawyer and her girls had beaten their troop to the punch on prime locations this season, and Alex would not let it happen again. She—her troop—had to win the biggest prize this year. They _had_ to.

Alex didn’t even care what it was.

Because Maggie’s troop had beaten them in box numbers last year, and Maggie had always been a worthy competitor, and Maggie was the only person who took this stuff as seriously as Alex did, and she was back. 

She was back after mysteriously disappearing twelve years ago and, consequently, the drive returned to Alex once again.

Alex must’ve been staring, because Maggie looked up as if she knew Alex had been watching her.

Her smirk made Alex clench her jaw. Alex spied the full shopping carts headed towards their respective vehicles and saw cookie boxes in almost every single one.

“Dammit,” she muttered. When she looked back, Maggie raised her eyebrow in a challenge.

Alex shoved the Do-Si-Dos into one of the girl’s arms to set up. “Girls, no breaks.”

“What?”

“But Alex—”

“I need to pee—"

“There’s a bathroom in the store. But otherwise, no breaks today. We have to use the full two hours. We’re behind schedule.”

“Alex, c’mon—"

“Kara.” Alex crossed her arms. “You wanted me to be your troop leader, right?”

“I’m questioning that decision,” Kara muttered. Alex pretended not to hear it.

“Our goal today is to run out of boxes, okay? So put on your cutest smiles and let’s get to work.”

Alex herded them all to their positions and tried not to get involved too much.

And Alex didn’t notice Kara’s watchful eye as she looked back at Maggie and their troop. She didn’t notice Kara’s sigh, or her intrigue at the young boy now trying to talk to Maggie, or Maggie’s soft smile, and then the boy ending up behind the booth with the rest of Maggie’s troop, helping out. 

All Alex could see was the slowly disappearing boxes on their table, too slowly for her taste. 

_We need to win_ , she thought.

Although if anyone had asked her why, today or more than a decade ago, she wouldn’t be able to give a straight answer.


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tagalong for the ride as we journey back to 6-year-old Alex and Maggie's first (Girl Scout) meeting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) sorry not sorry at all for the awful pun. 2) this chapter is set in 2001 (cause, fun fact, 2000 was the first year that Daisies could sell cookies!)

_...twenty years ago…_

“Here ya go, Maggie,” Alex heard Miss Smith say from the other room. “Do you want to meet the other girls?”

Alex stopped in the middle of eating her Thin Mint when their troop leader, a tiny little girl, and the girl’s mom walked into Miss Smith’s dining room. She already had the bright blue Daisy vest on, but it didn’t have any petals sewn on it yet like Alex’s.

A new girl?

The chatter from the seven other girls sitting around the table stopped. Even _Ellie_ shut up for once.

Alex didn’t recognize Maggie from her first grade class, but maybe she was in the other one.

Miss Smith patted Maggie’s shoulder. “Girls, I want you to meet Maggie. Maggie Sawyer. She’ll be joining our troop.”

Alex smiled and quickly swallowed her cookie down. This was exciting.

“Maggie, this is Troop 203.”

“Hi,” Maggie said, and it looked like she wanted to hide behind her mom’s leg.

Miss Smith led her around the table to introduce her to each girl, and Alex’s eyes followed them. Maggie had long and wavy—almost curly—brown hair, and she didn’t stop smiling. She had these holes in her cheeks, and Alex wanted to ask her if they hurt.

But she could imagine her mom saying that would be rude, so she didn’t.

Alex had an empty chair right next to her, and she quickly moved all the glue and paper and markers from the craft activity they were in the middle of away.

“Maggie, this is Alex,” Miss Smith said as she rounded the corner, her eyes telling Alex to be friendly.

But she didn’t even have to. Alex stuck her hand out because her mom always did that. Maggie’s eyes widened.

“Hi. Nice to meet you,” she said.

Maggie finally smiled again and the holes were back. She didn’t say anything as she grabbed Alex’s hand. Alex couldn’t stop staring at the holes, but she let go to push the chair out.

“You can sit here for crafts, if you want. We’re decorating our very own cookie boxes.”

Miss Smith said they had “redesigned” the boxes this year, so they sent out craft packs to all the Girl Scout troops across the country to make their own designs. 

“Cookie boxes?”

“Yeah! We’re selling cookies, and _I’m_ gonna sell the most.”

“ _Alex_ ,” Miss Smith said, her eyes narrowing. “What did I tell you?”

Alex pursed her lips to the side and slumped back in her chair. “It’s not a competition,” she mumbled.

“That’s right. We’re all trying to sell cookies, and you’ll all get a prize. Are you okay sitting here with Alex, Maggie?” She asked, and Maggie nodded, hopping up onto the chair. She crossed her legs since they were too short to reach the floor.

Miss Smith and Maggie’s mom talked for a bit before Maggie’s mom left. Maggie looked kind of nervous to be left alone, so Alex pushed more of the good markers towards her.

“You don’t have any pink yet,” she pointed out. “Here.” Maggie took the marker wordlessly and started to color in the words on the Tagalongs.

“Y’know,” Alex said next, “the razor scooter is pink.”

Maggie just tilted her head, so Alex went on.

“The razor scooter. That’s the biggest prize this year, and I wanna win it.”

“Can I win it, too?”

Alex stopped. “Um, I don’t think so. You have to get more than one hundred boxes.”

“Wow, that’s a lot.”

“Yeah. I’m at thirty-eight. And I got the most boxes last year, so I think I’m gonna get it.”

Maggie looked impressed, which made Alex feel proud of herself. When Maggie was done coloring in the Tagalong box, Alex handed her one for Samoas. They each got to eat one cookie for every box they colored in, but they had to stop at three. 

“This box is purple, but it’s fun to choose a different color.”

“Thanks,” Maggie said, finding the matching cookie on the plate to eat. 

But to Alex’s surprise, she spit it out a few seconds later.

“Ewww,” Maggie said, what was left of the cookie now in her hand. She stuck her tongue out and scrunched her face up.

“What?”

“It has coconut,” Maggie told her as if that explained it. She grabbed a paper towel and wiped her hand on it. “Where’s the trash can?”

Alex was confused. She didn’t like Samoas? 

When Maggie came back with a glass of water, she switched the paper for one with a Trefoils box. She gladly started to eat a Trefoil and got to work.

Alex couldn’t help but giggle.

Maggie lifted her head up. “What?”

“Trefoils are for old people. Only grandmas like those cookies.”

Maggie swallowed. “They taste good.”

“They’re so boring.”

“They’re better than the...Sam-oas,” she told her with a frown, trying to read the box.

Alex giggled again, but Maggie didn’t look like she was joking. “Thin Mints are the best, but Samoas are also really good. Everybody likes Samoas.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“That’s weird,” Alex blurted out before she could think about it.

Maggie looked sad. “Whatever,” she said quietly, focusing back on her paper.

Alex didn’t really know what she’d done wrong, but she went back to finishing her Thin Mints.

Later, Alex may have told Penelope that Maggie hated Samoas when Penelope had asked what Maggie was like. And somehow the word got out.

Within a week, almost every kid at school knew.

Alex didn’t think too much about it until she heard some girls whispering on the playground one day. Then, she noticed that Maggie was sitting alone by the jump rope station.

Alex had a feeling it was her fault, so she went over.

“Maggie? Are you okay?”

Maggie lifted her head up, holding a tiny piece of chalk in her fist. Alex could tell she was angry and sad.

“Go away,” she whispered, her gaze lowering again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Penelope told me that you told her. Now everybody thinks I’m weird.”

“Oh.” It _was_ about the Samoas. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Whatever, Alex. Can you leave me alone?”

“But—”

“Please, just leave me alone,” Maggie said, finally looking up again. Her eyes were shiny, like she was going to cry.

Alex bit her cheek and hugged her stomach. She turned around, heading towards the swingset. Her dad always told her that if she said sorry then things would be all better.

But it hadn’t gotten better, with Maggie.

If anything, it got worse.

***

“I need to win, Papa.”

Maggie’s father chuckled and ruffled her hair.

“I don’t understand this cookie business much, but I like your drive, Maggie.” He bent down to her level, tugging on her Daisy vest to straighten it. “You should never give up on something you’re passionate about. Do you understand?”

Maggie nodded fervently.

“How many boxes have you sold so far?”

“Twenty-six.”

Her father whistled. “Good job. It’s only been, what, three weeks?”

“Yeah, but I need to sell more. Miss Walters only bought two. Alex is almost at fifty!”

“Well, that’s not too far ahead—”

“She says _she’s_ gonna get the grand prize. Do you know what it is?”

Maggie didn’t know why her father was trying not to laugh, this was serious business. She had to beat Alex so that Alex couldn’t brag anymore. She was _so_ annoying, and mean.

Maggie had thought Alex wanted to be her friend.

Her father shook his head at the question.

“A razor scooter!” She picked up the catalogue to show it to him. It had a bright pink brand new razor scooter splashed on the cover.

“Wow! Well, how can I help?”

“Can you bring this to your office?” Maggie said, smiling her biggest smile. Papa always said he loved her dimples. “Pretty pleeeease?”

He sighed but said, “Alright. I guess I can do that.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She stood up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Make sure they write the numbers correct, okay?”

When her father came home that night, Maggie learned that cops didn’t just love donuts. A lot of them didn’t have kids of their own, so they pulled out their wallets, and Maggie’s father returned with the order form three-quarters full.

And that was just the beginning.

***

The cookie season was only halfway done when Maggie came to school one day ten feet taller, and Alex noticed.

At the end of recess, she hopped down from the monkey bars and went over to Maggie, who now had a group of kids around her.

“—has a thing on the back that makes sparks!”

“Woah!”

“Cool!”

“What are you talking about?” Alex asked, trying to figure out what happened since just yesterday. She was happy that Maggie wasn’t sitting alone anymore, but something was going on.

“Oh,” Maggie said, realizing Alex was there. She smiled. “I’m gonna win the razor scooter.”

Alex frowned. “What?”

“Yeah. I have _eighty-two_ boxes on my form. How many do _you_ have?” Maggie asked.

That wasn’t fair—Alex had only sold fifty-seven so far. Eighty-two was so much closer to one hundred.

The other kids moved, slowly shoving Alex out of the way as she just stood there. 

“What color is it?”

“Does the sparky thing hurt?”

“Can I come over and ride it sometime?”

Alex stared from the sidelines as Maggie excitedly answered all their questions. She wouldn’t stop smiling.

When Maggie officially beat her that Spring and brought her scooter to school to show everyone for show-and-tell, Alex couldn’t understand. 

She couldn’t understand why it made her so angry.

But she promised herself that next year she would do better. She’d make her mom and her dad buy double the boxes, and she’d go to the other streets to sell boxes, and she’d talk to her babysitter, too.

She didn’t even know or care what the prize would be.

She just knew she had to beat Maggie Sawyer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maggie is #valid. coconut is disgusting.


	3. chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rivalry continues, and Maggie has a realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: this is where the "light angst" comes in

_...twelve years ago…_

Coming up on their eighth season of selling cookies, her and Alex were tied for the most sold with three each. Becky had snuck into the running and beat them both last year; they’d been too focused on one-upping each other to notice.

But they wouldn’t let that happen this time.

They were both seasoned pros by this point, knowing exactly which customers to hit up and which to ignore. Which streets—usually the ones that had the giant candy bars at Halloween—were likely to buy the most boxes.

Maggie’s biggest batches were her dad’s cop friends, of course, and the college campus.

Perpetually hungry teenagers away from their parents for the first time? Hungover twenty-somethings with small bills in their wallets?

It was ingenious.

They weren’t allowed to sell _on_ the campus, technically, but if she stood on the sidewalk across the street then the campus director couldn’t tell her to get lost.

Plus, if she put on her biggest smile, she could get the director to actually buy some.

Alex hadn’t found her out yet, so Maggie was kind of proud of it.

But she should’ve known that Alex was just as good as her at finding the prime spots.

“Oh, hey Maggie,” Alex said nonchalantly as she pulled her collapsible wagon behind her. She went right past Maggie closer to the traffic light. Closer to the dorm buildings.

She’d gotten taller this year, noticeably taller. She stood about a head above Maggie now, and Maggie didn’t have much hope that her own growth spurt would hit anytime soon. It was just one more thing that Alex ‘beat’ her at, although it didn’t count.

 _Crap_ , Maggie thought as she stared at Alex’s back. How did she know about this?

“Are you stalking me or something, Danvers?” Maggie asked, putting a hand on her hip. Maybe she was.

“You wish. I did some research. All the forums are saying college campuses are the best market. But I guess you knew that.”

The forums? There were online discussion forums about cooking selling? Maggie was going to have to look into that.

“Well, I already set up my table, so…”

She hoped she was saying _Go away_ explicitly enough.

Alex just fixed her khaki Cadette sash around her shoulder. “There’s no rule that says I can’t sell here, too.”

Maggie didn’t know if she was right but wasn’t about to admit or test that. Maggie had to pause the conversation for a second to catch a guy in a beanie who didn’t look like he was sprinting to the bus. He definitely had time to buy some boxes.

“Would you like to buy a Girl Scout cookie?” She asked him, tearing her attention away from Alex.

“Um…” the guy said, eyeing the Savannah Smiles. His backpack looked heavy, like he was in for a long studying session. He swallowed. _Got him_ , Maggie thought. Sure enough, a second later, “Okay. Just a couple.”

She ended up selling him five, and by the time he’d handed her the twenty bucks, Alex had unfolded her table.

Alex looked back at her and had the gall to smirk. Maggie rolled her eyes. She’d just have to work harder since she couldn’t force Alex to leave.

But, as Maggie learned ten minutes later, someone else could.

“Nuh uh,” the USD director, Mrs. Little, said coming towards the both of them. “Not two of you.”

Maggie perked up. 

“I can only have one Girl Scout here at a time. It’s USD policy for sellers,” she said next.

Maggie couldn’t believe her luck. There _was_ a rule.

Out of the corner of her eye, Maggie saw Alex furrow her brow. “What?”

“You heard me. Miss Sawyer was here first today, so I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”

Maggie thanked her lucky stars that Mrs. Little knew her, mostly because it would annoy Alex.

Alex glanced at Maggie. “But—"

“I can get the paperwork,” she said, and it didn’t seem like she was kidding. It made Alex pale and nervously wring her hands together. She always did that, Maggie noticed, before big tests or presentations at school. “Do you have parents to drive you home? Or a bike?”

“Yeah, I...I biked. This isn’t fair, though! We’re not on the main campus.”

“You’re right, but you’re still on USD property. You can come back anytime, granted Miss Sawyer doesn’t show up first,” Mrs. Little told her with a small smile at Maggie. “This is not about you, it’s just the rules. I’m very sorry. What’s your name?”

“Alex,” Alex said quietly.

“Alex. Tell you what, I’ll give you this spot tomorrow to make it fair.”

Maggie didn’t mind that much. She’d just try extra hard to get all the good customers today, while Alex wasn’t there anymore.

“Yeah, that’s fine with me,” Maggie said cheerfully. It had the desired effect—Alex grumbled something before shoving boxes back in her wagon.

“Thank you, Alex, for understanding,” Mrs. Little said. Then, she peered at Alex’s vest.

Her and Alex both had a lot of cookie sale benchmark badges, and of course ones for camping and leadership skills, but Mrs. Little noticed something else.

“Maggie, you’re in Troop 203, too, aren’t you?” She asked, and Maggie nodded. “Why don’t...Do you want to sell boxes together?”

“ _No_ ,” both of them answered way too quickly. They glanced at each other.

Mrs. Little raised her eyebrows.

They always chose to not sell together, even at their troop’s grocery store booths. They would work on opposite entrances since each half of their troop would split their respective numbers. 

Maggie couldn’t even imagine...

“It’d be fine if you did. It would count as one booth, so wouldn’t technically be breaking any rules.”

“We’re okay,” Alex said a bit sharply. “I’ll go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Maggie confirmed. “She can have this spot tomorrow.”

Mrs. Little eyed them, probably wondering why they wouldn’t even consider it.

But it’d be weird. Working together wasn’t, and had never been, an option for them. It wouldn’t even work—they were too competitive.

Finally, Mrs. Little shrugged. “Alright. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Alex.”

“Yeah. Thank you,” Alex managed to say. Mrs. Little waved at Maggie before crossing back towards the campus buildings.

Maggie kept eyeing Alex as she packed up her stuff. She only felt a tiny bit bad, making it so Alex had to leave. Especially since Maggie now knew that Alex had biked here, and with those heavy crates trailing behind her.

Maggie’s mom was parked just down the block reading a book, opting to let Maggie do her thing. She briefly thought about offering Alex a ride home.

“Good luck tomorrow,” Maggie said as Alex lugged her stuff back up the hilly street towards the bike racks.

It must’ve come out wrong, though, because Alex just grunted as she passed her.

Maggie almost scoffed. _Well, then_. If she was going to act like that, then Maggie wasn’t going to feel remorseful anymore. She focused on resupplying the boxes on her own table.

Sometimes, she wondered how Alex felt whenever they recited the Girl Scout Law at their monthly meetings, especially the last part about doing your best to “be a sister to every Girl Scout.”

Maggie always felt a bit weird about that. She always wanted to look at Alex, to see if she had any reservations about saying that and then decidedly _not_ doing it every time they spoke or interacted.

But it didn’t matter because obviously Alex didn’t want to think about even being _friends_ , ever, which Maggie was definitely fine with.

When the season was over, Alex was close but not close enough to pass Maggie’s numbers. Maggie managed to beat her by twelve boxes, their closest margin ever, and Alex seemed pissed.

Maggie donated the cheap plastic toy that was supposed to be the grand prize. She never really cared about that part of it anymore.

The thrill she got from beating Alex was more than worth it.

***

That summer, they had their bridging ceremony to become Senior Girl Scouts. Their troop leader had told them to start brainstorming for their Gold Projects, but those weren’t supposed to be starting for a year or two. 

Maggie spotted Alex’s parents in the crowd, coincidentally sitting next to her own. 

Alex’s dad always looked so proud of her. He dropped her off and picked her up at most meetings and always volunteered for camping trips and activities. He had his video camera out, taping the entire ceremony.

On the other hand, Alex’s mom was less familiar to Maggie. Maggie knew Alex’s mom was a scientist, since she’d come to career day once. She’d talked about working in a lab and as a college professor, and she was supposed to stay to let them do a cool experiment with her, but she’d had to rush out early.

Maggie remembered that Alex had seemed disappointed about that, but not surprised.

Alex’s mom was cool, though, like one of those successful, hard-working women they were always told to emulate. 

Not that Maggie didn’t admire her own mom, too—she did—but she wanted to be a cop like her dad. More than she wanted to work at a desk like her mom.

Around Halloween that year, Maggie heard from their troop leader that Alex’s dad passed away, and she found herself keeping a watchful eye on her.

They’d only just turned fourteen and were starting high school, which was hard enough by itself, Maggie was always told. 

Alex had been absent for a week, but now she was back. Seeing Alex fold into herself more and more with each passing day and ignore everyone around her, even her teachers, was kind of scary. And everyone just left her be. Left her to work it out, to be sad, by herself.

Maggie knew that she was the last person on earth Alex would ever want to talk to, so she also stayed away.

She found herself wishing she could see Alex smile again, just once.

Which was a weird thought to have, considering...well, everything.

She didn’t get the courage to talk to her for an entire month, and it was only because her mom had cooked something and said to give it to Alex to take home. Her mom couldn’t imagine how much work it was to be a single mom and wanted to give her a break, even just for one meal.

Her mom knew their situation, but only that they didn’t really get along. They tried not to let their rivalry affect anything other than cookie sales. They didn’t tend to argue in front of people. It was their thing, something only they understood.

After the Girl Scout meeting, while they were waiting for everyone’s parents to come, Maggie’s mom handed her the casserole and Maggie went slowly for both her nerves and because of the weight of the dish. What had her mom put in there? Bricks?

“Hey, Alex,” Maggie said quietly, not wanting to surprise her.

Alex jumped anyway, spinning around. She was surprised at the sight of Maggie standing there but then went back to normal. If you could call her current state ‘normal.’

“Hey,” she said, crossing her arms as if to protect herself.

“I, um...my mom made this. For you, and your mom,” Maggie said, grateful to hand the dish off. 

Alex took it. “Oh, thanks.” She put it on the table for the time being.

Maggie didn’t know what else to say, so she said, “I don’t know what it is, exactly, but my mom’s not a bad cook.”

Alex just nodded. She looked nervous, like she didn’t know what to say either. Now that they were this close, Maggie also noticed the faint shadows under her eyes, like she wasn’t sleeping well. Maggie had heard her say to someone else that the only reason she started coming to Girl Scout meetings again was to “get out of that house.”

Maggie wondered how Alex’s mom was holding up, if she was home more than she’d seemed to have time for. She wondered if Alex liked it when she was home.

Finally, Maggie just spit it out. “Are you okay, Alex?”

She was genuinely concerned and hoped Alex could tell. There was no sarcasm, no bite, no teasing in her tone. 

Alex ran a hand through her hair, and it looked like she was trying to smile. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she sighed like she’d recited that a hundred times before.

“Are you sure?” Maggie couldn’t help but ask. “Because—"

“I’m fine,” she said, a bit sharper. “Seriously.” She laughed a little bit and rolled her eyes. “If one more person asks me that…”

“They’re just concerned.”

Alex focused back on her. “Oh, right, like _you’re_ concerned, too.”

Maggie raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, I am, actually.”

“Really? Why?” Alex said it like she couldn’t fathom the possibility.

“What, am I not allowed to be?” Maggie fired back.

At that, Alex pursed her lips. “I don’t know,” she mumbled. 

_Me neither_ , Maggie wanted to say. They weren’t friends, so why would Maggie care this much?

Alex didn’t seem up for arguing. Not that Maggie wanted to start an argument, but Alex just assumed she did.

“I guess I’ll see you at school,” Alex said, shouldering her bag and taking the casserole. She was looking over Maggie’s shoulder—when Maggie turned, she saw Alex’s mom at the door. Honestly, she didn’t look like she was doing much better than Alex. “Thank your mom for the food.”

And just like that, Alex shouldered her way past everyone in the room and was gone in ten seconds flat.

Maggie stood there for a bit before her own mom found her and told her they had to go.

And all Maggie thought about after was that she still wanted to help Alex somehow.

She still wanted to be there for her in some capacity, even though Alex wouldn’t allow it. She wanted to talk to her, to tell her that everything would be okay—even if she didn’t know if it would be. She wanted to be the one to make her feel better, just a little bit.

She wanted to see the smile usually reserved for when Alex got a good grade on a test—which was all the time—or when one of her friends made her laugh.

She wanted to...to hug her and let her cry and hold her until her pain went away.

She wanted Alex to smile at _her_.

She wanted to be the one to make her laugh and roll her eyes but in a “you’re ridiculous” kind of way. To make her _happy_.

Maggie’s heart raced when she realized what she wanted.

But it didn’t take her long to realize that she couldn’t have it, any of it.

The only things she could do were things Alex wouldn’t realize she was doing. So, Maggie decided that when the cookie season started up again she was going to let Alex win.

She deserved it, and Maggie didn’t mind, not at all. If it made Alex happy, then it’d be worth it.

There were still a couple of months until it began, so Maggie started brainstorming a plan to get all her regular customers to buy from Alex without Alex ever finding out.

And one day, maybe soon if she got up the courage, she’d tell Alex about all that other stuff swirling around her brain. She’d have to make sure Alex understood exactly what she wanted.

She wanted something to change, with them. She was kind of tired of fighting and wanted something more.

She had a feeling they could be something more, if they just gave it a chance.

***

Alex thought this school year couldn’t get any worse.

In between her dad dying—which she couldn’t think about too much or else she’d have to shut out the world until she could breathe again—her mom throwing herself into work to deal with it, and their first Christmas alone right around the corner, Alex could understand why everyone asking her if she was okay didn’t believe her.

Alex didn’t believe herself.

Of course she wasn’t okay—who could be?

Even _Maggie_ was worried about her. But Alex knew it was just pity, and she didn’t want that.

Not from Maggie, not from anyone.

It got a little better, over time. Or maybe Alex was just more numb to it. She was getting used to the pain and the heartache.

A little bit into second semester, she remembered that cookie season was starting up again. She’d kind of forgotten about it, which was a surprise.

For some reason, she was looking forward to it more than usual. It was something to take her mind off of everything, something to pour all her energy into.

Maybe she’d feel better if she beat Maggie. Maybe she’d forget to be sad and angry, if only just for eight weeks.

So Alex threw herself into it and noticed that it was working. She was beating her previous initial numbers significantly that year. She couldn’t wait to give an update at their next meeting—she wanted to see Maggie’s face when she told them how many she’d sold so far.

But she never got to.

Maggie was mysteriously absent on Valentine’s Day, and for their troop meeting that afternoon.

They were decorating flower crowns, which was honestly kind of fun, to wear at the Valentine’s Day dance that night at the school.

Some of the girls were whispering that they were going to give them to their crushes, which made Alex have to try not to sound grossed out. She wondered if Maggie was going to make it to the dance, but she was probably sick or something.

When Alex told them all how many boxes she’d sold so far, she didn’t really pay attention to the couple of gasps and jealous congratulations’. It didn’t mean much.

Alex didn’t care about the dance, so she headed home on her bike. She might’ve worn the crown while she was doing her homework just because no one would ever see her.

And Alex began to get worried when Maggie wasn’t at school the next day, either. Or the next.

Or for a whole week after that.

She finally thought to ask their teacher, who said that Maggie’s family had moved and she wasn’t going to school there anymore.

Alex’s mouth had almost dropped open.

She _moved_?

But she hadn’t even told anybody. It was like she’d just...vanished into thin air.

Her teacher couldn’t even tell Alex where she’d moved or why.

It bothered Alex more than she wanted to admit.

She couldn’t believe that Maggie could just leave like that.

There was an empty chair at their Girl Scout meetings, an empty slot at cookie sale booths, and an empty feeling somewhere in Alex.

It was like a fire was extinguished—the one that drove her to up her game and got her excited to wake up and put on her sash and set up her tables.

It wasn’t fun anymore.

It just felt monotonous. They did the same thing every year, but with Maggie opposite her, egging her on with just her presence…

Overnight, Alex’s shot at excitement and a distraction from everything else going on in her life had disappeared with Maggie.

She couldn’t really understand it, though.

Since when was Maggie so important to her enjoyment of selling cookies? Since when did she care if Maggie was in her life or not? Why would she care so much that Maggie hadn’t even said goodbye?

The only thing she knew was that, for some reason, with Maggie not around, any chance of digging herself out of her rut was gone.


	4. chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprising reappearance shakes up Alex's world :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter before we get back to the present day :)

_...two years ago…_

“Alright, girls, hurry it up on the tent. We’ve got a lot of driving to do.”

The one mom that was supposed to be helping Alex with this summer camping trip had taken her daughter home because of a cold yesterday.

They were headed home a day early, but luckily Alex only had to deal with four of them on her own. And she didn’t _really_ have to deal with Liza or even Kara—Kara was a saint compared to the twins.

When her mom had adopted a baby Kara when Alex was seventeen, Alex was still an angsty teenager that wanted nothing to do with her. But her mom had explained that Kara needed a home and a family since her own were gone, and Alex had warmed up to her.

Taking care of her baby sister and watching her grow had helped a lot after a rough couple of years of not feeling or doing her best.

Then she’d left for college and only saw Kara every month or so, but their relationship grew stronger, somehow. They weren’t together enough to annoy the hell out of each other, that was for sure.

When Kara had asked Eliza if she could join Girl Scouts like Alex had, Eliza had tried to find a troop near Midvale but couldn’t. It was much easier in the city, so Kara had begged Alex to start one. Alex didn’t think she’d have the time, but she was intrigued about the prospect of being on the other side of it as a troop leader. 

She’d scraped together four other girls, and it was a small troop but still pretty solid...for the most part.

Alex zipped up the mess kit bags and hoped everything was dry enough not to ruin the trunk of her car. They were almost packed up, the only thing left was the tent, which she’d entrusted to the girls. 

Alex’s apartment was the home for most of this stuff for the rest of the year. They were only budgeted for one annual camping trip, which was why it was an extra bummer for this one to be cut short.

Alex actually liked the camping part, but it was a ton of work. She kept hoping as the girls got older that they’d help more. But...

“We’re trying, Alex, but the bars are kinda heavy.”

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” Alex reminded them and could feel them rolling their eyes. “Remember the emotional intelligence pyramid I showed you all a couple weeks ago?”

“Uhhhh.”

“Kind of?”

Alex sighed. “Self-Management, the fourth tier. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Take control of the situation, and manage it effectively. Work together as a _team_.”

Silence.

“Well?” Alex asked.

“It’s still heavy.”

Alex hoisted the last bag into the trunk. “Fine. I’m coming over, don’t hurt yourselves.”

The immediate _clang_ of the tent rods on the ground told Alex she was doing this herself. But that was seventy-percent of being a leader, right? They’d warned her.

She finally had all of the rods scooped up in her arms and was trying to get Kara to open the storage bag when she almost dropped them all on Kara’s toes.

Through the trees, she swore she saw Maggie.

Maggie Sawyer. _The_ Maggie Sawyer.

And she was proven correct when the figure came closer.

“Oh my god,” Alex breathed.

She hadn’t seen Maggie in _years_. She was definitely older—ten years older—but still somehow looked exactly the same.

She had her hair pulled up and was wearing hiking boots and shorts, and a cut-off red flannel. Alex’s heart raced.

Was she dreaming? Had she hit her head or something?

She wouldn’t just randomly see Maggie after all these years in a freaking forest, would she?

“Up here and to the left. Spot B12,” Alex heard Maggie shout to someone behind her.

Actually, multiple people behind her. _Kids_ , Alex realized when she tore her eyes away from Maggie for just a second.

“Alex? Are you okay?” Kara asked, finally turning around to see what Alex was staring, gobsmacked, at. “Who’s that?”

“Maggie Sawyer.”

Maggie must’ve heard her name, because she whipped her head around and then did a double-take. Alex was kind of glad she looked as shocked as Alex felt.

“Danvers?”

Alex opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Then, a shadow passed over Maggie’s face, and she kept heading towards her own campsite.

Alex wasn’t sure what Maggie would do if they ever came face-to-face again, but it wasn’t _that_.

Maggie must be camping here, too, and with six young girls. So that could mean…

Alex quickly shoved the tent rods into the bag Kara was holding, not caring that Kara could barely hold it. “Alex—"

“Sorry, I have to, um…” Alex almost tripped over her feet trying to keep Maggie in her line of sight to follow her before she realized that she didn’t even know why she was so keen to go over there.

Maggie hadn’t looked happy to see her, and Alex had absolutely no idea what to say to her. But they had a lot of history, and Maggie had just seen her and decided to immediately walk away.

That was weird, right?

Alex would bet anything that those girls following Maggie like ducklings were Girl Scouts. Which meant that Maggie was a troop leader.

Here. In National City.

How could Alex just...not know this?

After Maggie had moved away a decade ago, Alex had spent months—actually, probably years—wondering where in the hell she’d gone, and why.

Now, she was finally back in Alex’s life, it seemed, and Alex was curious.

So, even though she was clenching her hands, but also trying to act like this didn’t have as big of an effect on her as it did, she went over to talk to her. Her stomach was full of nerves.

Maggie’s girls looked the same age as Kara, so they were probably Brownies, too.

“Maggie,” she called out to get her attention.

Maggie stopped for a second before spinning around. She eyed her girls and told them to go ahead while she hung back.

“Hey. It’s, uh, been awhile,” Alex said. She stuck her hands in her pockets, unsure what else to do.

Maggie nodded. “Yeah, it has.”

“What brings you back to these parts? And with a Girl Scout troop, no less?” 

This was so stupid. What she really wanted to ask was why she left, why she didn’t tell Alex before she did, why she was back.

Maggie smiled at Alex’s question, and the dimples appeared. 

“Yeah, their last troop leader didn’t have the time anymore. So I offered and...here we are. They’re Brownies.”

“Mine, too,” Alex said. Maggie wasn’t trying to keep this going, but Alex didn’t want to stop talking yet. “I was, um, kind of surprised to hear you moved. Back then.”

Bringing up the past was risky, but what else would they talk about?

Maggie ran a hand through her hair. “Me too,” she said quietly. Then louder, “I moved up to Sacramento.”

Sacramento. So still in California. Not, like, to the other side of the world or something. It had certainly _felt_ like she’d moved that far away.

“Oh. Cool. Is it nice up there?”

Maggie tilted her head. “I mean, I guess.” She was probably wondering what Alex was trying to do. “Look, I have to get back. Help them set up their tents and stuff. Is your troop leaving?”

“Yeah. We had a sick one, so we’re packing up early.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll see you around?”

God, why did it have to be so stiff with them? Alex missed their easy banter, even though it turned into arguing all the time. 

Maggie didn’t wait for Alex’s answer and turned away.

Alex just stood there, wondering why she couldn’t seem to move, until Maggie stopped in her tracks. When she glanced over her shoulder, she had a twinkle in her eye.

“Gonna bring your A-game in the spring, Danvers?”

It took Alex a second to realize what she was angling at.

She couldn’t help a half-smile. “We’ve already scoped out the best selling spots, so don’t get your hopes up on even coming close.”

Maggie smirked, and it was so familiar it almost made Alex’s heart soar. “You’re on.”

Alex let out a relieved breath as she watched Maggie walk away. 

Maggie was back in her life, through Girl Scouts, and they could still talk to each other like before. Everything had changed, and yet some things were just like they used to be.

Alex hadn’t realized how much she missed it.


End file.
